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J. B. BLYTHE. TREATING RAILWAY SLEEPERS.

Patented Mar. 17, 1885..

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J. B. BLYTHE.

TREATING RAILWAY SLEEPBRS. 110.313,912. Patented Mar. 17, 1885.

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J. B. BLYTHE,

TRBATING RAILWAY SLEEPBRS.

Patented Mar. 17, 1885.

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TREATINGR-ALWAY SLEEPBRS.V v No. 313,912. Patented-Mar. 17, 1885.

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TREATING RAILWAY SLEEPBRS. No. 313,912. Patented Mar.' 17, 1885.

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TREATING RAILWAY SLBBPBRS. 110. 313,912. Patented Mar. 17,1885.

N. PETERS, rlmmulhngnpner. whingmm D. c.

lUaiiTnn Sterns Barnum Ormea@ JOHN B. BLYTHE, OF BORDEAUX, FRANCE.

TREATING RAILWAY-SLEEPERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 313,912, dated March 17, 1885.

Application tiled March 14| 1883.

(No model.) Patented in France May 8, 1876, No. 112,576, November 30, 1878, No. 127,528. and June 12, 1883, No. 155,963; in England June 27, 1876, No. 2,651, December 20, 1878, No. 5,222, June 6, 187.0, No. 2,244, and May 12, 1883, No. 2,410; in Austria October 6, 1876, No. 26,003, July 30, 1879, No. 14,007, and June 10, 1884, No. 2,970; in BelgiumfNovember 27, 1876, No. 40,943, and January 2, 1879, No. 48,640; in Spain March 17, 1877, No. 21; in India August 2, 1877, No. 58; in Germany 0ctober 5, 1877', No.2,172; in Luxemburg November 7, 1877, No. 652; in Sweden July 24 1880, No. 6,021; in Canada. May 29, 1882,

No. 14,856, and in Portugal November 27, 1883, No, S76.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, .IoHN BENNINGTON BLYTHE, of Bordeaux, in the Republic of France, have invented new and useful Improveniente in llreating Railway Sleepers, Wood Blocks, andVegetable Fiber in general, (for which or for parts of which I have obtained the following Letters Patent: in Great Britain, No. 2,651, dated June 27, 1876, No. 5,222, dated December 20, 1878, No. 2,244, dated June 6, 1879, and No. 2,410, dated May 12, 1883; in France, No. 112,576, dated May 8, 1876, No. 127,528, dated November 30, 1878,` and No. 155,963, dated June 12, 1883; in Austria, No. 26,003, dated October 6, 1876, No. 14,007,dated July 30,1879, and No. 2,970, dated June 19, 1884; in Belgium, No. 40,943, dated November 27, 1876, and No. 48,640, dated January 2, 1879; in Germany, No. 2,172, dated October 5, 1877 in Luxemburg, No. 652, dated November 7,1877 ,in Sweden, No. 6,021, dated July 24, 1880; in Canada, No. 14,856, dated May 29, 1882; in British India, No. 58, dated August 2, 187 7 in Spain, No. 21, dated March 17, 1877, and in Portugal, No. 876, dated November 27 1883,) of which the following` is a specification.

This invention relates to the treatment of wood and fibrous material of a vegetable nature with a preservative agent, such as carbolic acid, coa-l or wood tar, heavy hydrocarbon oil, known as creosote, and thelike, in a vaporous or finely-divided form, the said preservative agent being mixed with steam and applied to wood or other material to be treated by means of such steam. y

Heretofore (see British vPatent No. 3,437, dated October 22, 1873) I have produced and applied this carbureted steam, as the mixed steam and preservative agent may be called,

by heating in a boiler a mixture of the prements in this process and in the apparatus for carrying it into effect.

First. Instead of relying upon the steam generated in the receptacle for the preservative agent, one or more jets of high-pressure steam from an outside boiler are used.` Prefer ably two or more jets are used, being arranged in se ries, so that the carbureted steam produced by means of one jet'is further mixed with the steam of another jet. Preferably, also, the jets are introduced into ejectors of ordinary or other suitable construction, the jet-pipe projectinginto a tube or pipe through which the preservative agent is drawn. The steamjet therefore sucks in the preservative agent, (mixed or unmixed with the steam of a previous jet,) thoroughly subdivides the said agent, mixes it with steam and heats the same,

and finally forces it onwardlinto the ovens.

Secondly. rIhe steam is superheated, so as more thoroughly to heat the preservative agent without producing undue pressure or condensation in the ovens.

Thirdly. A circulation of the preservative agent through the ovens is maintained bythe ejectors.

Fourthly. After the treatment with carbureted steam the wood is or may be further subjected to a soaking under pressure in liquid with which the ovens are or may be filled.

There are certain other improvements which Will be hereinafter fully set forth.

As the present invention consists. not only in those new features of invention common to the aforesaid three British patents of 1876, 1878, and 1879, but includes, also, certain improvements found only in the later patents, or only in the last one, it'will not be amiss to make a brief comparison of their several subject-matters.

In the 1876 patent steam of high pressure (superheated or not) is blown into the preservative agent in its receptacle, (or oilboiler, as it may be called,) and the carbureted steam thus produced is by a second jet of high'pressure steam (superheated or not) drawn into an ejector, and thence forced into are employed. One of them has its suctionpipe connected with the lower part of the oven, so as to draw the condensed matters out ofthe same, while its discharge-pipe is connected with the oil-boiler below the level of liquid therein, so that the steam blows up the preservative agent. The other ejector is placed, as before, between the oil-boiler and the ovens.

In the 1879 patent two ejectors are placed in series between the oil-boiler and the ovens. The first sucks up the liquid preservative agent, subdivides and heats it,and the second, afterfurthersubdividingandheatingthesame, forces it into the ovens.

All the patents contemplate the saturation, under pressure,of the wood with preservative liquid after the treatment with carbureted steam. In the last patent tlieliquid is forced intothe ovens, and the pressure is produced by means of an ejector, while in the earlier ones other means are resorted to.

Vrlhe apparatus of the last patent will be herein more particularly described, as it is considered best adapted to carry the principles of the invention into effect. It is shown in Figures 1 to 6. The apparatus of the 1878 patent will also be described as a modification. It is shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

Fig. 1, Sheet 1, is a side elevation of an oil-boiler and combined superheater forming parts of the improved apparatus; Fig. 2, Sheet 1, a plan ofthe same; and Fig. 3, Sheet 1, a section on line a bin Fig. 1. Fig. 4. Sheet 2, is an end elevationofa series ot' cylinders or ovens and apparatus arranged according to this invention; Figs. 5, Sheet 3, and, Sheet 4, a plan of the same, and Fig. 6, Sheet 5, a side elevation of one ofthe cylinders o r ovens with section of part of the apparatus connected therewith.

A represents a tank or reservoir for containing the crude tar, oil, or hydrocarbon used; B, an oil-measurer or charging-vessel; C, a steam-boiler; D, asuperheater; E, an oil boiler or reservoir; and G, ejectors for forming currents of carbureted steam; H, cylinders or Ovens contai ning the wood or other material to be treated; I, condensing-vessel for spent matter; J, ejector fordrawing offsteam from cylinders H; 1, pipe from tank A to charging-vessel B;Y2, pipe from steam-boiler O to superheater D; 3, pipes for superheated steam; 4, pipes for discharging carbureted steam from cylinders H into condensing-vessel I; 5, pipe connecting pipe/1 with charging-vessel B; 6 andy 7, pipes connecting charging-vessel B with oil-boiler E; '8, pipe from superheater D to ejector F; 9, delivery-pipe from ejector F to oil-boiler E; 10, suction-pipe to ejector F from oil-boiler E; ll Vand 12, connectingpipes for discharging carbureted steam into cylinders H; 7, 13,' 14, and 15, return-pipes from cylinders H to oil-boiler E; 16, pipe for lpassing oil from condensing-vessel I to oilboiler E; 17, pipes from cylinders H to condensing-vessel I; 18, pipes distributing from ejector J to condensing-vessel I.

The crude tar, oil, or hydrocarbon matter being first passed from the tank or reservoir A through pipe 1 into the oil-measurer or charging-vessel B, and thence through pipes 6 and 7 into the oil-boiler E, steam is passed from steam-boiler C through pipe 2 into superheater D, (heated by thefurnace beneath the oilboiler or otherwise,) through which it circulates and passes in a superheated state through pipe 8 into the ejector and straining box F, (seen more particularly in Figs. l, 2, and 3, Sheet 1,) where it discharges into the enlarged conical end or mouth of the delivery-pipe 9 from the ejector F. The suction-pipe 10 ofthe ejector enters and dips to near the bottom of the oil-boiler E, as shown. The action of the superheated steam through the ejector-box F and de1ivery-pipe9 causes more or less vacuum to be formed in the ejector-box F, which vacuum sucks or draws away the tar, oil, hydrocarbon,or other matter (in aliquidstate) from the bottom of the oil-boiler E into the ejectorbox F, and the steam taking it up drives it through the delivery-pipe 9, thereby dividing and heating it as required. The deliverypipe 9 passes into the oil-boiler Eand upward toward the top of the dome,where it discharges into a second ejector, G, and the mixed steam and hydrocarbon or other matter, meeting thereat with a second current of superheated steam admitted through pipe 3, is taken up with renewed energy, and being further divided and heated is driven through pipes 11 and 12 into either of the cylinders or ovens H,which it enters at its highest part and is discharged in a thoroughly divided state (or in the form 0f spray) onto and disseminated among t-he timber or other material t0 be treated. As the treatment continues the distillation, mixed with the sap and other products expelled from the wood, is returned by pipes 13, 14, 15, and 7 into `the oil-boiler E, where it mixes with the tar, oil, hyd rocarbon, or Y other matter therein, to be again taken up and sent back by the ejectors F and G into the cylinder or oven H, as before, a continuous circulation difficulty, owing to the superior pressure of the superheated mixed steam and hydrocarbon in the cylinder or oven H over that in the oilboiler E, this difference of pressure being as described.

To prevent the oil-boiler E from being surcharged with the distillation and other matter returned to it from the cylinder or oven H, a normal level is maintained in the oilboiler E by means of pipe 16, through which the surplus distillation and othermatter (above thisl normal'level) isforced into the condensing-vessels I.

When the timber or other material in the cylinder or oven H has been sufficiently treated,

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being thereby set up and maintained Without i IZO caused by the action of the ejectors F and G,

the stop-cocks on pipe 12 are shifted so as Vto allow the carbureted steam to pass into another cylinder of the series, and to allow the steampressure in the cylinder Hthat has been treated to escape by pipes 4 and 18 into the condensing-vessels I. The cock on the pipe 17 is then opened, and one of the condensing-vessels I thereby placed in communication with the cylinder H. The steam is then let into ejector J by the cock on pipe 3, and by a displacement of the steam and gases which before filled the cylinder Hthe liquid matters in the condensing-vessel I fill the cylinder H. The cocks on the pipes 17 and 18 are then shut off, and the steam, continuing to iiow in by pipe l2, connected with pipe et, forms a pressure upon the liquid in the cylinder and forces it into the wood or other material under treatment.

The treatment above described is continued from oven to oven.

In cases where the apparatus is mounted on railway-trucks the cylinders or ovens may be placed in groups of three, four, or more,transversely over or otherwise relatively with the tanks, the various ejectors, pipes, stop-cocks, and other details being arranged accordingly. Fig. 7, Sheet 5, is a side elevation, and Fig. 8 an end view, of a portable form of this apparatus for use on railway-trucks. In this arrangement avacuuin is formed in the cylinders or ovens containing the railway-sleepers,wood blocks, or vegetable 4fiber after their treatnient by carbureted steam, as before described, so as to facilitate the absorption of the heavy oils or other liquid matter used to saturate them.

The apparatus is composed- First. Of four wrought-iron ovens or cylinders, A, made of any desired diameter and length, and each formed with one or two domes on its upper part, capable of holding (apart from the cylinders) about seventy gallons. The cylinders A should be strong enough to resist an internal pressure of, say, eight atmospheres, and each cylinder has on one or" its domes a gage, w, having its float inside the dome, anda vacuum and pressure gage, 1.

Secondly. Of a cylindrical closed tank, B, Fig. 7, holding about five hundred gallons, and connected with each of the cylinders A by separate pipes and stop-cocks a, discharging at the bottom part of the tank.

Thirdly. Of a cylindrical pulverizing-vessel, C, Fig. 7, connected with each ofthe cylinders A at their domes alternately by the pipes h and c and stop-cocks o, and at the bottom part by the pipes and cocks m, branching oi'i' from the pipes a. j

Fourthly. Ora cylindrical vessel, FD, coinprising the charging-vesselF (shown by dotted lines in Fig. 8) and the condenser D. The charging-vessel F is connected with the pul- Verizing-Vessel C by the pipes m, and with the cylinders A by the pipe e. The condenser D has a pipe and escape-valve, n, leadinginto it from the top ofthe closed tank B.

Fifthly.' Of lan ejector, G, connected with vthe upper part of the pulverizing-vessel C by the pipe H, and with the domes on the cylinders A by the pipes c and h and the stopcocks o.

Sixthly. Of an ejector, E, connected with the domes of the cylinders A by the pipes e' and h and stop-cocks o, and discharging into the closed tank B by a pipe, r.

Seventhly. 0f a straining-box, N, containing an eject-or, which is connected with the bottom part of each of the cylinders A and with the charging-vessel F, and also with the bottom of the pulverizing-vessel C by the pipes m. All these vessels and pipes except the condenser are covered with non-conducting material, and are securely boltedl to an iron frame-work, T, carried by two pairs of ordinary railway wheels and axles, as shown.

Eighthly. Oi' a steam-boiler and superheater. (Not shown in drawings.) From thisa pipe, S, is connected with the ej ectors E and G, having a stop-cock to work either oi them, and which is also connected with the ejector in the box N and with the pipe e by the two stop-cockspp. A steam-boiler for an apparatus such as here described should be of, say, twenty-rive horse-power, and capable of working at from six to ten atmospheres, oratv any other desired pressure. The steam-boiler may be mounted on separate trucks, or otherwise, as may be convenient.

The mode of treating railway-sleepers, wood blocks, and vegetable fiber in general with an apparatus of this description is as follows: One of the cylinders or ovens A is charged with railway-sleepers, and the charging-Vessel F iilled with the quantity of creosote, oil, or other matter containing carbolic acid necessary for onev operation, which is run into it by the pipe u. Steam is let into the ejectors G and N, and the stop-cocks leading to the cylinder from the pipe c through the pipe h, and from the bottom ofthe cylinderA by the IOO pipea through the pipe m, are opened, as also the cocks leading to and from the chargingvessel F. The creosote or other matter it contains passes through the pipe m, and is divided and carried into the pulverizi'ng-vessel C by the ejector in the box N, mixed with gases from the wood and condensed matter. This, after being heated and agitated bythe jet of steam, escapes from the pulverizingvessel in the form of spray into the ejector G, which carries it on into the cylinder. That Which is not immediately absorbed by the wood falls to the bottom of the cylinder and is returned to the pulverizing-vessel C, and so the circulation is kept up till the pressure in the cylinder reaches, say, four or iive atmospheres, which is kept up as long as may be found necessary to thoroughly penetrate the wood. As soon as this part of the operation is sufficiently advanced in the first cylinder its gases and steam are let off into the --force its contents into the pipe m, and when it is empty these cocks are shut off and the rest of the steam and gases from the first cylinder are allowed to escape into the closed tank B, which is always kept full of the residues of the operations, to which is added the quantity of coal-tar, creosote, oil, or other matter intended to be used in the injection of the sleepers, when all has not passed into the pulverizing-vessel C through the chargingvessel F. This steam and gas heats and agi- 1 first cylinder.

tates the liquid in the tank B, and the steam and gases given off from the latter pass through the escape-valve n into the condenser D, the escape going on till no pressure exists in the Then the cock a is closed and lthe steam-cock S is opened on the ejector E,

top of the domes.

which draws out the air and gases from the first cylinder and discharges them into the tank B, the excess escaping as before into the condenser D. As soon as a sufficient vacuum is shown upon the vacuum-gage, the cock a is reopened and the liquid heated and agitated by the escaping' gases and steam from the ejector E rapidly fills the cylinder up to the The cock a is then shut off andV also the steam and stop cocks of the ejectors F, and' steam-pressure is admitted by the cock p through the pipes e and h above the liquid-matter in the cylinder,which is rapidly absorbed by thesleepers. As it is absorbed the height ofthe liquid in the dome diminishes and the quant-ity is shown on the scale of the float m, which indicates the number of gallons absorbed per sleeper in the cylinder. When a sufficient quantity of absorbed matter isy indicated, the steam-cock p is shut off and the cock a is opened to empty it into the tank B, air being admitted to the cylinder by the cock p. The supply of liquid in the closed tank is kept up by an overflow from the pulverizingvessel escaping into the tank through a cock and pipe, (not shown in drawings,) and as soon as the liquid-matter has run from the first cylinder the cock a leading from that fcylinder is shut and the process of filling and pressing in the oily matter above described goes in with the sleepers in the second cylinder, and so on with all the four cylinders, one being under vthe carbureted-steam treatment, while thenext is blowing off its steam or is under vacuum, and the next following it with its sleepers in the liquid matter under pressure, while the fourth is open to be recharged with fresh sleepers.

Although only a series of four cylinders is Y here described as about the weight for a full charge, of an ordinary ten-ton railway-truck onits wheels,any number of cylinders may be used, andthey may be made of any di mensions'.`

hydrocarbon matter heretofore necessary. I

treat a charge of railway-sleepers in an hour, with a consumption of about one pound of good coal per cube foot of wood'in the charge. The tar,heavy coal-oil, or other hydrocarbon matter used, variesaccording to the quantity of carbolic or phenic acid it contains. About one ounce of carbolic acid of commercial strength, or six to eight ounces of heavy coal-tar oil, is sufficient to treat a cube foot of wood. The consumption of fuel also much depends upon the economical generation of steam in the boiler as well as on the state of dryness of the wood.

The chemical action that takes place in this process is brought about by a circulation of steam charged with a small quantity of carbolicacid acting upon wood in an oven, and as the carbureted steam condenses in the oven and the wood gives off its sap a partof it with oily tarry matter is returned to the boiler and keeps up the supply of carbureted steam.-

This circulation is greatly improved and increased inV rapidity according to the number of discharges or exhausts that are used, for as the pressure is increased on one side of the jet it is diminished on the other, and it follows that the greater the difference of pressure between the oven and the boiler the quicker thel condensed matter in the oven will return to the boiler, so thatthe operation is entirely dependent upon the quantity of high-pressure steam raised and used in a given time to heat a proportionate quantity of wood.y

Having now fully described my said invention and the manner of carrying the same into eife'ct, what I claim isl. The improvement in treating wood and other fibrous material to preserve the same, consisting in ejecting by a steam jet or jets,

through the medium of an ejector or ejectors,

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action of successive steam-j ets, so that it is very thoroughly subdivided, mixed with steam, and

heated preparatory to introduction int-o the oven, substantially as described.

3. Theimprovementconsisting in withdrawing the condensed matters from the oven and, by means of a steam-j et, returning the same into the oven finely divided, mixed with steam, and heated, substantially as described.

4. The improvement consisting in subdividing or p ulverizing the preservative agent with superheated steam of high pressure, through the medium of an ejector or ejectors, substantially as described.

5. The method of treating wood and other material to preserve the saine by injecting by means of a jet or jets of high-pressure steam into an oven containing the wood the preservative agent finely divided and mixed with said steam and withdrawing and returning the condensed matters finely divided, mixed with steam7 and heated, substantially as described.

6. The improvement in treating wood and other materials, consisting in withdrawing the preservative agent from its receptacle by the suction of a steam-j et in an ejector, subdividing the said agent and mixing it with the steam of the j et, and afterward injecting into the oven containing the wood or other material the carbureted steam or mixture of steam and preservative agent by a second steam-jet, substantially as described.

7. rlhe improvement consisting in sucking the preservative agent out of its receptacleby a jet of superheated steam, and thereby also subdividing the same and mixing it with the steam and heating it, and afterward urging forward the mixture and further subdividing the preservative agent by a second steam-jet, substantially as described.

8. The method of treating wood and other materials to preserve the same by injecting into the oven containing the-material to be treated, and maintaining through said oven a circulation of the preservative agent by the action of steam-jets acting successively or in series, the one being a jet of high-pressure superheated steam and serving to withdraw the agent from its receptacle and subdivide the same, and another serving to urge forward into the oven and further subdivide the said agent, substantially as described.

9. The method of treating wood and other materials by first subjecting the same in an oven to a circulation of carbureted steam or preservative agent subdivided by and mixed with steam, and afterward admitting aliquid into said oven and soaking the wood or other material therein under pressure, substantially as described.

JOHN B. BLYTHE.

Witnesses:

E. T. HUGHES., F. HUGHES. 

